In the conventional system for the manufacture of glassware, thermoplastic or similar article production, such as bottles, flasks, etc, the melted glass is fed in the form of gobs which are distributed by means of a distributor, to the individual forming sections (generally eight) constituting the machine (known as I.S. machine) in which the glass can be given the desired container shape.
Such glassware production, is herewith made through one conventional process called "blow and blow" in the parison and blow molds of the respective sections of the I.S. machine. In these machines it is necessary first to form a parison in the parison or blank mold and this is done in an inverted position. The neck ring of the container is finally formed here and afterwards the parison is inverted to its normal position and placed in a blow mold where the parison is blown to finished form.
Formation of the preform is carried out conventionally in the "blow and blow" process, by a molten glass gob fed into the parison mold through a funnel positioned over the mold in order to guide the gob into the mold. Thereafter a baffle is positioned over the funnel, to provide a settle blowing that settles the gob in the bottom of the parison mold filling the neck ring mold, accurately forming the container neck ring or crown and allowing even contact of the glass with the walls of the parison mold. After the baffle and the funnel are disengaged and withdrawn; the baffle alone is positioned over the parison mold, in order to act in this case as a baffle having the shape of the preform bottom. Then a counterblowing forms the parison and prepares it for inversion and an inversion mechanism carries the preform to the blow mold wherein a final blow is provided in order to give the container its final form.
Finally a take off mechanism grips the article by its neck ring or crown, the blow mold is opened, and the take off mechanism is moved to place the article, still hot, over a dead plate when it is pushed by a 90.degree. push out mechanism, to place it in a conveyor which carries the containers of all the sections, to a lehr for a thermal treatment to eliminate the stresses accumulated in the glass during the manufacturing process.
As it is obvious, the precise synchronized movements and placements of each one of the mechanisms constituting the sections of the machine is critical and each one of those machines must be placed and moved with accuracy and at the right height, in such a way that collisions among the mentioned mechanisms are avoided.
The level of the mechanisms and/or arms depends on the size of the container being manufactured and such levels depend in turn, on the physical measurements of the parts which constitute the parison mold and the blow mold (called afterwards only molds).
When it is necessary to produce containers of a certain shape or model and afterwards to produce another type of containers, it is necessary to stop the forming machine in order to change the molds of each section of the machine wherein the height and center of the mechanisms and/or arms of each section have to be adjusted according the respective molds, i.e. the funnel, baffle, neck ring, bottom plate, fingers mechanisms, etc. (called also variable equipment of the machine).
Traditionally the alignment of the delivery equipment of the machine, can be made by hand, at the environment temperature, for each one of the mold changes, adjusting the machine mechanisms with the parts of the mold sets that are going to be used, making each change directly in each respective section and with the help of shims, that determine the distance to which the mechanisms of each section must be leveled. This has the disadvantage that in heating the mold sets in each section of the machine when making them functional, molds expand, making the mechanisms bind causing damage and loss of containers, so that the section has to be stopped in order to realign the machine at operating temperature after the change is started.
Another disadvantage that has been found in changing of the respective mold sets is that the manual adjustment for each section does not always ensure leveling which is the same for each section.
An additional disadvantage in conventional manual mold changes is that the alignment is usually effected with shims, which is only approximate and results in excessive pounding of the molds requiring excessive mold maintenance.
All these above mentioned disadvantages are overcome through the apparatus and process of the present invention for the alignment of mechanisms and/or arms in changing mold sets because they will permit an exact alignment in the height and the centering of the delivery equipment of the I.S. machine.